Team News Riveting
New Delhi, July 12
The preliminary investigation into the tragic Air India plane crash has revealed a critical clue underlining that both engines’ fuel switches were moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ just seconds after takeoff in Ahmedabad.
One of the deadliest plane crashes in India on June 12, just a month ago, had claimed the lives of at least 270 people. A 15-page preliminary report of the probe into the Air India-171 crash was made public by the government on Saturday.
The report, released early Saturday by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), sheds new light on what may have caused the worst aviation disaster in the country in decades. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, slamming into a hostel for medical students before exploding in a fireball.
The Data retrieved from the aircraft’s Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR) showed the sudden transition of fuel control switches on both engines. This effectively cut off fuel supply mid-air. In the cockpit voice recording, one pilot can be heard urgently asking the other: “Why did you cut off?” The other replied: “I did not.”
Seconds later, both switches were moved back to the ‘RUN’ position, indicating that the crew tried to restart the engines. However, the EAFR stopped recording shortly after, and the aircraft continued to lose altitude.
A MAYDAY call was issued by one of the pilots, but no response was received after Air Traffic Control attempted to confirm the call sign. The plane was airborne for only 32 seconds before it crashed just outside the airport boundary, killing nearly everyone on board and about 30 people on the ground.
The report stated that both pilots Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) and First Officer Clive Kundar (1,100 hours) were medically fit, well-rested, and experienced.
Investigators ruled out sabotage but cited an earlier Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, which warned of a potential issue where fuel switches could be installed without an engaged locking mechanism. Although the advisory applied to Boeing 737 aircraft, the AAIB noted the issue as possibly relevant. The FAA had not classified it as an unsafe condition.
